MMGC Vice President Alan Clute attained the Rifleman patch at an Appleseed Shoot this past weekend at Del Norte Gun Club in Rio Rancho.
This was Alan’s fourth Appleseed event. Appleseed Shoots generally cover two days, Saturday and Sunday. Participants will generally shoot more than 400 rounds over the weekend and will also learn the history of the beginning of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord in April 1775.
Alan’s first Appleseed was in June 2009, when he attended Saturday only. Then he went to the entire weekend twice earlier this year. The June Appleseed in Socorro featured 110° temperatures! In September Alan participated in an Appleseed at the Whittington Center in Raton.
Shooters practicing prone at Del Norte Gun Club; Alan is nearest the camera, shooting a Marlin 795 semi-auto .22 LR.
To earn the Rifleman’s patch, a shooter needs to score 210 points or better on the modified AQT (Army Qualifying Test). The AQT that Appleseed events use has been modified to simulate marksmanship at ranges from 100 to 400 meters while only being placed 25 meters from the firing line. This allows Appleseed Shoots to be held on nearly any range.
Alan shot a “heart-wrenching” 209 points on the AQT in Raton in September. At that time the shoot boss and other instructors encouraged him to dry-fire practice a lot and then come to the Rio Rancho shoot on Sunday only and shoot his qualifying AQT —
which he did! There were more adventures along the way, of course, and if you see Alan I encourage you to ask him about them. On Sunday, after a few frustrating attempts, Alan scored a stellar 232 points to earn his Rifleman’s patch. He has also been invited to be an Appleseed Instructor-In-Training, which is what the orange hat in the picture below signifies.
Success!
Alan will attend the upcoming Appleseed Shoot in Albuquerque, November 20 & 21, as an IIT. The Appleseed Shoots are an exhilarating way to learn rifle marksmanship and are appropriate for families. Here’s an excellent article by Massad Ayoob describing an Appleseed Shoot. Women, kids, and active military/LE shoot free; even grizzled old guys who have to pay don’t have to pay all that much! Contact Alan if you have questions or want to learn more about attending Appleseed.
No longer a “cook,” Alan Clute shows off his Rifleman patch!